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Date/Time: Sat, 20 Apr 2024 07:17:28 +0000



Critical Number Formatting Bug in Windows

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[2014-10-14 18:01:07]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
Sierra Chart is developed with Visual C++.

The Visual C++ standard libraries provide this function:
setlocale( );

Sierra Chart makes this function call at start up:
setlocale( LC_ALL, "C" );

This means the following:
A value of C specifies the minimal ANSI conforming environment for C translation. The C locale assumes that all char data types are 1 byte and that their value is always less than 256.

It has always been, that with this setting the decimal point delimiter is a ".". Not a comma. This has always been like this for decades now. We have always safely relied upon this otherwise we would have made certain to make the necessary call to force it to be a ".". We use a specification which is fixed and not affected by operating system specifications.

This is no longer the case. Apparently there is some Windows update which changes this behavior and starts using the system setting for the decimal point delimiter which can be a comma in some cases.

This is a bug and a very serious one because it creates all kinds of problems in Sierra Chart and there can be no doubt that so many programs developed for Windows, are going to be affected by this.

We believe we have the problem resolved in version 1201.

One problem created by this is that all of the historical daily data becomes corrupted.

If you see a Historical Daily chart not display properly, then you need to update to version 1201 or higher and go to that chart and select Edit >>Delete All Data and Download.

To prove the point, this is what needs to be called in order to use the operating system setting:
setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );

Sets the locale to the default, which is the user-default ANSI code page obtained from the operating system.

Sierra Chart does not use this. This is a serious Windows bug that exists.

Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-10-14 18:07:49
[2014-10-15 05:56:50]
User51760 - Posts: 108
To prove the point, this is what needs to be called in order to use the operating system setting:
setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );

Sets the locale to the default, which is the user-default ANSI code page obtained from the operating system.

Thank you for addressing the issue.

Where "needs [this] to be called" - Operating System or Sierra Chart? How do we bring it up to prove the point?

Thank you. Chris


[2014-10-16 08:30:52]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
We have released version 1202.

Update with Help >> Download Prerelease.

Let us know if you see a line like this near the top of the Message Log:
Locale Information: English_United States.1252 | 2014-10-16 04:30:27

Provide us what you see.

Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-10-16 08:31:24
[2014-10-16 09:08:17]
User51760 - Posts: 108
In the Message Log we see >

Software version: 1202 | 2014-10-16 10:35:17
OS Version Number: 6.1 | 2014-10-16 10:35:17
Locale Information: English_United States.1252 | 2014-10-16 10:35:17

On opening a historical chart and applying Menu >> Edit >> Delete All Data And Download we see a constantly widening pricescale and under Chart Settings a Tick Size of 100000000376832.000000 > see https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5931986/delimiter_problem_historical_data.png

Thank you very much for tracking the problem!
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-10-16 09:39:05
[2014-10-16 09:38:29]
User51760 - Posts: 108
Addendum:

On having changed Chart Settings >> Tick Size to the correct number (0.00050 in this case) manually ONCE, the chart shows correct width of pricescale. Exiting and restarting Sierra Chart brings up the correct Tick Size and visualization of data in the respective chart.

Opening historical charts of different symbols (e.g. GBPUSD or EURMXN) brings up correct charts.
Saving those charts, exiting and restarting Sierra Chart brings up those saved charts correctly.

It seems that 1. changing the Tick Size manually once, 2. exiting SC and 3. restarting once or twice is necessary to bring back the normal behaviour. It might even be necessary deleting old .dly files manually.

We love seeing our charts again.

Problem seems solved - at least on our Windows7 and Windows8 computers. We hope it is solved for everybody.

THANK YOU, SIERRA CHART!
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-10-16 10:27:30
[2014-10-16 11:26:45]
User51760 - Posts: 108
Version 1202 Prerelease, Windows7 computer: I am sorry finding the old behaviour back after having exited and restarted Sierra Chart after some hours of trading:

On reopening Sierra Chart first we see correct Tick Size but messed up chart > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5931986/unnamed.jpg

On Delete All Data And Download we see incorrect Tick Size and messed up chart > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5931986/unnamed1.jpg

We do not see the effect on EUREX/GLOBEX historical data.

Please let us know if this thread is the appropriate place for tracing this problem.
[2014-10-16 14:32:49]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
We will see if we can prevent this tick size from getting set incorrectly.

We are going to be contacting Microsoft about this. This is a very serious problem and we are certain that they have done something quite wrong here. As we indicated, we have not seen a problem like this for 20 years.

It is appropriate to use this thread.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-16 19:09:08]
User57111 - Posts: 25
maybe but what is the proper tick size for EUR/USD, Gold etc
[2014-10-16 19:13:19]
User57111 - Posts: 25
actually I have always the same tick size and I think it's correct
[2014-10-16 19:20:21]
User57111 - Posts: 25
and for example this chart of Gold every candle is correct except this four
imageGCZ14 [CV] Weekly #11 2014-10-16 21_17_37.374.png / V - Attached On 2014-10-16 19:17:45 UTC - Size: 95.73 KB - 950 views
[2014-10-17 18:41:26]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
We apologize for the delay.

We released a new revision of 1202. It solves the problem with the Tick Size getting set incorrectly. But it will not help at this time with the historical daily data being incorrectly written to the data file when a comma is used as a decimal point delimiter in your Region settings.

To update select Help >> Download Prerelease.

You will have to correct any incorrect Tick Size after the update.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-19 04:38:06]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
We think we found a solution to this, and we are going to implement this in the next day.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-19 22:26:31]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
With historical daily data files, there is no longer any effect by the operating system region settings.

Update to prerelease 1203 and re-download the data in historical daily charts. The problem should definitely be resolved.

There still could be some other issues we are not aware of, but the main problems are solved.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-20 08:41:08]
User57111 - Posts: 25
How can I Update to prerelease 1203?

Because I click Help >> Download Prerelease
install some version and nothing change.

[2014-10-20 12:50:37]
User51760 - Posts: 108
Hello, Support Team,

version 1203: having opened and closed several new chartbooks with instruments in question, having opened and exited SC several times and having shut down and restarted the computers several times it seems that the obvious delimiter-effect does not appear anymore on our computers.
We see correct charts again.
Seems you found the solution.
Thank you very much for all your effort!
Date Time Of Last Edit: 2014-10-20 17:38:53
[2014-10-20 15:57:28]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
How can I Update to prerelease 1203?
So after selecting Help >> Download Prerelease, and the installer is run and the installation is complete you are not getting version 1203?
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-20 17:33:16]
User57111 - Posts: 25
Yes I check and I have version 1203
but it changes nothing.
[2014-10-20 17:47:24]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
Updating will not by itself solve the problem.

You also need to do the following:

Go to each chart that does not look correct and select Chart >> Chart Settings.

Press the Apply Global Symbol Settings button.

Press OK.

Select Edit >> Delete All Data and Download

Do this for each chart which is not displaying correctly.





Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-20 20:10:05]
User57111 - Posts: 25
and nothing change
[2014-10-20 20:37:07]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
Please briefly describe one of the problems and post an image of the chart by following these instructions:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?page=PostingInformation.php#Image
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-10-21 12:45:19]
User57111 - Posts: 25
http://www.sierrachart.com/image.php?l=1413895460652.png

[2014-10-21 20:38:34]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368


We want you to follow through the instructions here and delete all the historical Daily data files for GC:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?page=doc/doc_ContinuousFuturesContractCharts.html#ReDownloadingByDeletingFiles

Another easy way to do this is to select File >> Open Historical Chart.

Delete the GC* files

And then go to the chart and select Chart >>Reload
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing
[2014-11-10 14:06:00]
User57111 - Posts: 25
I tested it and now it's everything OK.
Thank you.
[2014-11-10 16:52:26]
Sierra Chart Engineering - Posts: 104368
This is good.
Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level

Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy:
https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation

For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, *change* to the Teton service:
Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing

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